Author: KRDO

Celeste Springer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo Police Department identifies two female victims who have died after being hit by a man who police say was driving under the influence.

According to PPD, the victims are 55-year-old Carolyn Marie and 36-year-old Kayla Marie Medina, both from Pueblo.

According to the department, they were called out to the northbound ramp on 13th Street where they say the two victims were hit by a car. Police say one of the victims died at the scene, and the other was taken to the hospital but ultimately died.

Police say the car involved was left at the scene, stopped on railroad tracks.

The Pueblo Police Department says they identified who the registered owner of the car was, and arrived at his home.

When they arrived, the owner and now-suspect, 41-year-old Carlos Miranda, reportedly told police that he believed he had hit a dog.

The department says Miranda has been charged with a DUI and vehicular homicide.

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Bart Bedsole

LOW SCORES

Even though it only racked up 9 violations, Hacienda Colorado inside the University Village shopping center on North Nevada was ‘no bueno’ on its health inspection last week. 

Some of the problems include:

Cooked ground beef, cooked corn, and diced tomatoes held at the wrong temperature 

Numerous pans were not properly dried before being stacked 

The staff was using an improper method of thawing frozen fish 

The restaurant was packaging and selling certain foods without the required permit

KRDO13 stopped by Hacienda on Monday to ask about the violations.

The manager politely thanked KRDO13 for coming, but said he had no comment on the violations specifically, nor how the staff was addressing them.

It was re-inspected on June 11, and once again, the pans were stacked before they were dry, but none of the other violations were found.

Also failing last week was the Mariscos Altamar on South Academy near the Hancock Expressway. 

The 16 violations found during its health inspection include: 

A kitchen worker not washing their hands before changing tasks 

The ice machine, utensils, and several containers were dirty 

The inspector also found foggers, a roach killer spray, and other pesticides not allowed in restaurants 

A mixture containing Windex (a toxic chemical) was being used for cleaning parts of the kitchen 

When KRDO13 went inside to ask about the failed health inspection, a member of the staff at the counter said the owner was out of town on vacation and unavailable to respond to the violations.

Other restaurants earning a failing score last week:

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen – 3450 Austin Bluffs Pkwy 

Viet’s Restaurant – 7640 N Academy (click here for previous coverage of Viet’s Restaurant)

Lady Luck – 23355 Hwy 94 

Broken Bones BBQ – 481 E Hwy 105 

HIGH SCORES

Flying W Ranch – 3330 Chuckwagon Rd 

Paris Crepe – 1019 S Tejon St 

Krispy Kreme – 5790 S Carefree 

Qdoba – 1916 Southgate Rd 

Pei Wei Asian Diner – 7148 N Academy 

Jasmine Cafe – 6064 Stetson Hills 

Chicken Salad Chick – 9291 Highland Ridge Heights 

Sliced Bagels & More – 115 S. Main St 

Sliced, earning a Perfect Score on May 30, just celebrated its one-year anniversary in May.

Yes, the Fountain spot for breakfast and lunch sells uncut bagels by the bag, but it’s really more of a sandwich shop that happens to use bagels instead of bread.

Owner and New York native Shannon Badgeley takes her bagels seriously, and has them imported several times a week from the East Coast.

“A New York bagel has to be cooked in New York water. It’s boiled in their water. There’s just something in the water, who knows what it is?” she said, smiling.

The sandwiches on the menu, from the Florida Meemaw to the Jalapeno Copper to the Love You Lox, were all named by her family members.

“This is a family business, so we wanted to bring the family into the shop,” she explains.

Badgeley says the Plain Blaine is the most popular sandwich.

Named by her father-in-law, includes bacon, egg, and cheese on a buttered toasted bagel with salt and pepper.

Another feature that makes Sliced unique compared to most other bagel shops is the fact that most sandwiches are steamed in a special machine after they’re prepared.

It’s a way of making sure a bagel sandwich appeals to as many people as possible.

“I know that a lot of people don’t like a bagel sandwich because the bagel is big,” Badgeley explains, “and this helps make it soft and nice and hot, and gooey, and brings all of the flavors together.”

The menu also includes a section called “Home Away From Home”.

Each month, Sliced offered the signature sandwiches from two other states as a way of giving members of Fountain’s military community a taste of home from time to time.

The current states offered are Missouri and Kansas.

Don’t forget to look for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards at your favorite restaurant to know the kitchen is clean. 

Click here for a full list of the most recent health inspections in El Paso County. 

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A crash is causing a major backup on I-25 southbound, according to Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) maps.

CDOT says the crash is near Garden of the Gods, and one lane is currently blocked.

Drivers should expect delays if headed in that direction.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s a safe space for dads across Southern Colorado to nerd out over some of the most impressive locomotives from America’s past, capped by a short train ride Saturday starting just outside the Pueblo Union Depot.

The museum said it is 100% volunteer-based. They do everything from pulling weeds to building new tracks for their working train cars. Almost all their volunteers are between 50 and 85 years old, and you’ll see them out almost every Saturday manually nailing down rail spikes for their projects.

The museum holds a handful of organized events and train rides every year, like their Father’s Day celebration. It costs $15 to ride in the locomotive car and $10 for the caboose. The money helps fund the museum’s maintenance and restoration projects.

The Father’s Day event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drive just past the Pueblo Union Depot, and you will see the Pueblo Railway Museum sign leading you into a gravel parking lot.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Some areas of the city have needed repaving or other infrastructure repairs more than others.

This season, it’s the southwest side’s turn.

So many projects are in such proximity to each other that the detour around one may bring drivers within just a few blocks of another.

Generally, traffic congestion and detours have greater impacts during the day, particularly at the morning and evening rush hours.

One street that has been transformed by construction is Arcturus Drive, a two-block street with moderate daytime traffic between 8th Street and the Lower Skyway neighborhood.

Concrete work there has, at times, closed one of the four lanes of traffic, and occasionally backs up traffic on the entire length of the street.

That project, however, is winding down a month after it began; adding to the project’s length was the pouring of concrete for new driveway entrances at a shopping center, two housing units, and a convenience store.

Some drivers cut through the parking lot, seeking a shortcut around the congestion.

Several blocks to the south, another project is wrapping up: Maintenance work on the Cheyenne Road bridge over Cheyenne Creek; Cheyenne Road and adjacent Cheyenne Boulevard will be repaved this summer after the completion of concrete work and a natural gas line replacement last year.

One of the more impressive projects, in terms of scope, is the current concrete work on East Cheyenne Road, between Southgate Road and Lake Avenue; it has required lane shifts and closed several neighborhood intersections.

“We still have more to do,” one worker told KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior. “When we finish here, we’ll be doing a lot of Circle Drive, from Fillmore Street to Fountain Boulevard.”

Also on the southwest side are several projects that The Road Warrior has already covered, being performed by the city or the Colorado Department of Transportation: Street paving in the Broadmoor Bluffs neighborhood, concrete work and repaving on South Nevada Avenue between Motor Way and Fort Carson’s main gate, and concrete work at the intersection of Cheyenne Boulevard and Lorraine Street.

Some of the construction also makes travel more challenging for pedestrians and cyclists, as sidewalks and bike lanes are often closed.

Amid public frustration with cone zones, drivers should remember that construction crews have a job to do, and the result will be smoother and safer driving.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Preparations are underway for Pikes Peak Pride. The festival celebrating the LGBTQ community kicks off this Saturday for a weekend full of performances, a parade, but also added security.

Organizers of Pikes Peak Pride say that since there have been so many protests and some heightened energy levels downtown, they want to make sure all Pride participants are safe. While they say they can’t watch over each and every person, they make sure to prepare security levels to match the crowds they anticipate will attend.

“Safety is always our number one concern. We work for a year planning this event every year. We start again in August. And, so, you know, we’re always thinking about how do we keep our guests safe. How do we make sure that we have the best experience?” explained Justin Burns, vice president of Pikes Peak Pride.

They say this weekend they’ll have more security than they have had in years past. 

“Our sponsorship dollars are actually up this year. And we think that’s attributable to our community here, the resilience and that the community here actually needs this,” said Justin Burns, vice president of Pikes Peak Pride.

As a rainbow parade makes its way from America the Beautiful Park to Alamo Square Park, participants will stand out and say they want to be seen and heard.

A map of the parade route from Pikes Peak Pride.

However, this year there will be no rainbow crosswalk; the city points to ADA regulations as the reason.

“Due to accessibility and safety concerns, the City is not allowing crosswalks to be modified for any events. The City is providing outdoor space at the Pioneers Museum, where Pride is being held, for decoration by event organizers.”

-A spokesperson for the City of Colorado Springs

The Mayor released the following statement on the Pride event.

“This will be the third time Mayor Yemi has spoken and participated at Pikes Peak Pride, and it was the first major event he participated in after being sworn in during 2023. Mayor Yemi believes it is critical for him to be a mayor for all residents, and in creating a safe and welcoming city for everyone. This festival is a celebration of community and acceptance for many Colorado Springs residents, and it is a testament to the strength of our city.”

-Mayor Yemi Mobolade

City Council President Lynette Crow Iverson chose not to issue a Pride Week proclamation, saying their role is not to engage in identity-based political gestures.

“City Council Leadership has chosen not to issue a formal proclamation for Pride Month this year. As a non-partisan legislative body, we believe our role is not to engage in identity-based or political gestures, but to focus on governance that benefits all residents.

We want to be clear: we welcome everyone to Colorado Springs. We support the rights of every individual to live safely, freely, and with dignity. We extend our best wishes for a safe, respectful, and successful event, and we remain committed to ensuring our city is a place where all people feel valued and secure.

Our decision is rooted in a desire to avoid divisive or performative politics. Instead, we aim to serve every citizen equally, without favor or pandering, and focus on the issues that unite us—such as public safety, infrastructure, economic vitality, and quality of life.”

-Council President Lynette Crow-Iverson

“We do feel the love from the city,” said Burns. “But it is disheartening that the new leadership is not willing to proclaim Pike’s Peak Pride Week.”

Organizers encourage everyone to come out and celebrate this weekend.

“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be amazing. The parade is huge. We’ve got more floats. We’ve got like two semis and everyone is super excited. The new route is going to be great and we’ve got more vendors than we’ve had any time. So we’ve got 25 food vendors, 180 I think local vendors and two days full of entertainment on the mainstage. So come out, celebrate. It’s going to be a blast and we’re so excited to see you,” invited Burns.

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Bradley Davis

CASCADE, Colo. (KRDO) – An International Hill Climb racer took KRDO13’s Bradley Davis on a test run ahead of the second-oldest auto race in North America on June 22.

Fred Veitch is a Colorado Springs native competing in his final Hill Climb race this year. He said it’s an experience he never gets tired of and hopes people in Southern Colorado will share his enthusiasm.

“Ironically, the closest we get to Colorado Springs, it seems like people aren’t as aware of this race.”

The Hill Climb attracts a global audience. Racers from overseas send their cars and parts on boats months in advance to compete.

Veitch took Davis up in his Porsche GT3rs for a test run while he prepares for the race. The two drove the middle and a small part of the upper sections, climbing over 1,000 feet to just over 12,500 feet.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — With all of the road-related construction in Colorado Springs, we often see erosion control bags used by crews to prevent sediment from washing away and clogging storm drains and ditches.

However, those same bags may have increased street flooding during our recent rainy weather.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior spoke with several residents on East Cheyenne Road, several blocks north of Lake Avenue, on the city’s south side, about the problem.

One neighbor, Trish Sanders, said that the bags were placed around storm drains at several intersections along Cheyenne by a crew performing concrete work in preparation for future street repaving — but after the crews finished and moved farther north along Cheyenne, the bags were left behind.

The bags, combined with the flatness of the area, likely blocked stormwater drainage — causing it to back up in the street, on sidewalks, and even into the yards of nearby homes.

“I’ve tried to contact several different people, and I’ve gotten no response from anybody until I found you,” Sanders said. “Something just has to be done because this whole street shouldn’t have to be flooding. It causes issues in the traffic and accidents also.”

The Road Warrior found the bags around drains at several intersections between Florence Avenue and Lake Avenue.

While interviewing Sanders on Tuesday, a man identifying himself as an inspector for the contractor of the concrete work approached to explain the situation.

“The contractor isn’t quite finished here,” he said. “He’s still working on some punchlist items. He knows (the bags) are still here. They’ll be removed soon.”

Neighbors hope that “soon” means before the next rainstorm produces more flooding and creates another mess for them to clean up.

“It would make me feel better if I knew that was really going to happen,” Sanders replied. “Nobody contacted me or gave me information until they saw you here.”

Other neighbors, though, said that drainage has long been an issue in the neighborhood.

“I’d like to see more drains, better drainage,” said Nora Ricks, a lifelong resident in the neighborhood. “I don’t know how they can mitigate the problem with the sand that’s around here. But it’s not any better, even after previous improvements.”

As concrete work continues on Cheyenne, The Road Warrior hasn’t heard of similar issues.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The second day of trial wrapped just before 4 p.m. Tuesday for the man accused of randomly stabbing two different people in downtown Colorado Springs.

Tommy Lavery faces three counts of attempted murder for the stabbings, which were at the center of a May KRDO13 special report, Stabbed at Random.

Today, his alleged victims took the stand.

The first stabbing took place exactly a year ago yesterday, June 9, 2024, right outside of Gasoline Alley, a popular bar in downtown Colorado Springs.

Today, Stephen Waun, the victim in that stabbing, told the court he was in the bar drinking and had stepped outside with a friend when a man ran up and stabbed him in his side. His friend who was outside with him, testified that he heard the suspect say something along the lines of, “f*** you b***,” when he ran up and stabbed his friend. Waun explained to the court that immediately after being stabbed, he felt his side burning. The pain grew exponentially after that, Waun told the court.

Waun says he’d never met the man before and that the stabbing came completely out of the blue.

It’s the same thing that David Brookins said happened to him, only 11 days later, while he was downtown with a group of friends, waiting for a light to change at Cimarron and Tejon.  

Brookins told the court that that night, he and three friends went for pizza downtown and made their way over to the Shrunken Head Tiki Bar and Rabbit Hole, two downtown bars.

One of the friends who was with him that night was Charles Stocker, who shared his testimony to the court on Tuesday.

Stocker explained that after the group had their food and drinks, they were walking back to their car toward the south end of Tejon Street when he heard someone behind them ask if they had a cigarette.

But when he turned around to respond, Stocker said he saw someone making a thrusting motion toward him. Startled, he said he then stumbled backward into the intersection, yelling, “He’s got a knife!”

The alleged stabbing attempt is part of why Lavery is facing three counts of attempted murder.

Brookins told the court he did not hear any question, nor did he turn around. Instead, he said he felt like he’d been shoved, and he took a few steps forward.

Brookins told the court it felt like he’d been hit on his lower back, so he reached back to touch the area, and it was wet. When he brought his hand forward, he told the court it was covered in blood.

Brookins’ roommate testified that he helped Brookins across the street and had him lie down so he could apply pressure to the wound.

Security camera footage gathered by a Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) detective, shown in court, shows the group of four walking southbound on Tejon. In the video, a person can be seen leisurely strolling a few paces behind the group.

In the courtroom, jurors were shown scars and pictures of two different stab wounds. Waun stood up and lifted his shirt during the trial to show the jury the scar left behind from his stab wound, along with the scarring on his stomach from surgery following the attack.

Both Waun’s and Brookins’ shirts, worn the nights of their respective incidents, were also shown to the jury as evidence, with both displaying a hole where they reported being stabbed.

David Brookins lost his kidney in the attack and nearly died. His doctor, who performed emergency surgery, testified in the trial that a large portion of Brookins’ kidney was lacerated and explained that he was bleeding internally and needed two units of blood.

KRDO13 spoke with his mother about what it was like enduring the trial on Tuesday and seeing security camera footage from the incident.

“The moment before something happened, you know, they’re whole – not missing a kidney, you know, they’re fine. And then, it’s like in two seconds, he’ll be changed forever. [It was] very hard to watch,” explained Tina Brookins.

Brookins said it was difficult to watch her son take the stand, as they’ve been coping with the trauma of the incident for the past year.

“You just want to protect your kids, you know? Especially when you have a suspect that your child had an encounter with, you become very protective,” Brookins said. “You wish your kid wouldn’t have to do it, but if it’s necessary. We want to make this a safer place, but it’s heartbreaking. I wish you wouldn’t have to. It’s like it brings everything up now. You’re trying every day to kind of push it away a little bit and continue living, but this has to be done.”

She tells KRDO13 she hopes justice is served.

KRDO13 was not allowed to record in the courtroom, but Lavery had clean-cut hair and a shorter beard and seemed stiff and tense during the trial. He seemed remorseful when Brookins explained his injuries. During other testimonies, Lavery kept a straight face.

We asked the defense for an interview, and they declined to comment. 

Lavery will be back in court on Wednesday. 

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says that they used chemical irritants on a woman after she allegedly tried to evade police, and later refused to follow officer demands.

According to police, they received a call from someone around 10:12 a.m. on Tuesday. The caller said there was a woman in the area of the 2500 block of Airport Road who was screaming and acting erratically.

Police say they found the woman in her car two separate times, but she continued to drive away from officers.

Officers say they later located her in the parking lot of Prospect Lake. However, at that point, police say the woman refused to get out of her car. After more than an hour, police say they put chemical irritants in her car. The suspect, 54-year-old Kimberly Nicholson, finally got out of the car.

Police say Nicholson was taken to a hospital to be evaluated. Her charges include felony vehicular eluding, reckless driving, obstruction, and resisting arrest.

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